Who do people keep referring to Israel as a democracy?

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River Jordan

It is simply standard Big Lie propaganda,which Zionists use a great deal: virtually endless repetition of the same simple catch-phrase or false statement. Most Arabic-speaking states are both democratic and multi-ethnic. The idea is that with sheer repetition the false concept will eventually penetrate the subconscious and thereby bypass one's critical faculties. As we see from the Zionist responses here when the falsity is challenged or exposed the result is infantile name-calling,hysterical ranting and false accusations of unfairness to Jews.
The answer that characterized the Great Zionist Experiment as an Ethnocracy is quite correct; even in the strictest academic terms there is no more accurate term for the so-called Israeli "government". By no means can it be called a democracy. The U.S. is not a formal "Anglo-Saxon State" dedicated to driving out anyone who cannot prove they are Anglo-Saxon on the matrilinear side and/or a convert to Episcopalianism. This is not a false analogy; study it closely and you will find it accurate. It also reveals the sheer idiocy of Zionism - as well as it's cruelty and lack of justice.

Claymore Thomas III

Only jews say that.
It is Un-Patriotic and Un-American to support these folks.
I can't still get over the fact that they torpedoed our economy six months back.
Eight millions of hard working Americans were laid off because of Mr. Greenspan and Mr. Lehman. Tommy

Miss Sarah

Israel is democratic in theory, not in action.

Ashe

You are right. Read "Jewish History Jewish Religion" by Israel Shahak and "The Israel Lobby" by Mearshimer and Walt.

Zeno

There have been so few ethnocracies that the concept is unfamiliar to most people and even the term itself would not ring any bells with anyone other than a person with a degree in Political Science. It is a democracy; but only for one select ethnic or in this case ethno-religious group. No ethnocracy can by any stretch of the imagination be deemed a true democracy but it is a fact that they preserve for the primary in-group all of the outer trappings of democracy. Hence to the casual observor the ethnocracy seems democratic. It is in fact quite difficult to explain the distinction to your average person.

By the way insulting other members is a violation. One does not address an asker as a "wanker" because their question makes one uncomfortable.

Ingul

Oh,it´s very simple.Israel is the only country in the Middle East where people can freely elect their leaders and prosecute those they elected,even if the person in question is the President of Israel or the Prime Minister.
As soon as any of those ratholes that are now called "Middle Eastern Arab countries" achieves the similar results about her highest-rank leaders(for example,the King of Saudi Arabia or Jordan,President of Egypt or Syria or Iran),the world will immediately classify this arab country as "democracy".
Until then-sit quiet,look at Israel- and choke with envy.

Shay p

Israel is not a perfect society. While Israelis enjoy far greater freedom than any of their neighbors, they have not achieved the equality in all areas to which they aspire, but that is true of the United States and all the other western democracies as well. If the United States has not yet achieved this goal in more than 200 years, no one should be surprised that Israel has fallen short in just 56, but the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness for all Israeli citizens continues.

Roughly one-fifth of the Israeli population is not Jewish. Most of the non-Jews are Muslims, but Christians, Druze, Baha’is, and other faiths are also represented.

Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy equal rights with Jewish citizens of the state. Israeli Arabs participate in all aspects of Israeli life, from menial jobs to Supreme Court justices.

Hebrew and Arabic are the two official languages of the state.

Israel’s free press is one of the most vibrant in the world. Unlike the mostly government-controlled media in the region, Israeli journalists can report on all aspects of Israeli life, and do not hesitate to criticize their government’s failings. Arab journalists who expressed similar views about the Palestinian Authority or other Middle Eastern regimes would likely face arrest — or worse.

Israel’s Declaration of Independence guarantees freedom of religion for all. Each religious community has its own religious schools, councils, and courts, and exercises jurisdiction over matters of personal status such as marriage and divorce. The holy places of each religion are controlled by officials of that faith, not the Israeli government.

Israel also recognizes the freedom of assembly. Tens of thousands of Israelis have turned out for rallies for peace, sometimes in support of their government and sometimes to protest its policies.

AND SO ON !!

Cher JPA

Baloney. We have different immigration laws for different groups of people in the US. It is precisely because it's Arab Muslim citizens are under the same civil laws & rights that it IS a democracy.

From your tone of voice, your hate is coming through.

I don't know what you mean by settlements in & out of Israel. Within Israel it supports Arab towns as well as non-Arab. It doesn't have an outside Israel. In terroritories it respects communities under it's domain & the Palestinian Authority has the majority of the land & it is Arab populated.

Edit: Israel did give to Arabs & Jewish familes in need. Problem was both Haredi & Muslims were getting tons of money. So much for your facts. The system is now more capitalistic & less socialist. The economic was going under with the old system. (Change was in last 8 years.)

What you aren't asking is why don't Arab countries give support & rights of imigration to Arab brethern? Palestianians aren't allowed into any place but Jordan. Meanwhile, Israel was formed in part to give physical protection & rights to Jews that they are had been denied elsewhere.

Step back from focusing narrowly on Israel to look at the region as a whole. The comments don't make sense in the whole context.

Simple Simon

Your question is not of a brainwashed person, but of a lying person.

Israel only recognizes the right of return for Jewish people.
ANY STATE WILL NOT LET FOREIGNER IN.
Israel only supports settlements in or out of Israel for Jewish people.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY NEW ARAB SETTLEMENTS ARE IN THE WEST BANK? MUCH MORE THAN JEWISH.
Israel only gives financial support for the above mentioned to Jewish people.
SOMEBODY COUNTED THAT MOST AMERICAN AID GOES TO ARAB FAMILIES WITH 4 WIVES and 40 CHILDREN.
When a nation has different laws and privileges for different races and religions it is in fact an apartheid state.
LAW IS THE SAME FOR BOTH ARABS AND JEWS.
Israel cannot be a 'Jewish democracy' when almost a quarter of its population is Arab/Muslim
THAT WHAT MUSLIM MIND WOULD THINK...

@barinwashed again:
1. Nobody was kicked out in 1967-stop to lie
2. West bamk real name is Judea. If you demand right of return for Arabs, why Jews can't return to Judea, they also lived there before 1048.
3. Why more Arabs came to the West bank-because Israel had jobs for them...

Boomerang

Because it is a democracy.
"When a nation has different laws and privileges for different races and religions it is in fact an apartheid state"
False -
All of the Israeli laws apply to all citizens equally. The only exception for this is the draft military service from which Arabs are exempted.
Arabs vote to the Israeli parliament and get elected for it.

Any country can make whatever criteria it wants regarding applications for citizenship.

valda54

why do people keep picking on jewish people, they where persecuted in 2nd world war by the SAS, now your picking on them, never heard of a jewish person being a terrorist, not trying to take over the world, they only want a small piece of land,, not like some i don't care to mention..

Kevin S

Israel gives welfare aid to arab families and has allowed 140,000 refugees to reside back in Israel (in 67). Of course that's not enough, even I agree it's not enough. Israel also established affirmative action for arabs to be in the knesset (12%) and those arabs supported Lebanon when Hezbollah attacked Israel. It's a democracy because by definition its a democracy. America is not a democracy..........its a constitutional republic. Israel is not a constitutional republic which is what you mean when you say democracy. They are 2 different notions of law. To be frank, Israel is more socialist like european nations with a democracy (meaning everyone can vote).

every country makes its own immigration laws, and dozens of them have specific rights of return. if your grandfather was german, you can move to germany, but not if your grandfather was french. vice versa for france. that obviously doesn't mean that france and germany are not democracies.

democracy has to do with the government, not immigration laws. in israel, every citizen has civil rights, including free speech and freedom of religion, every citizen can vote, run for office, and serve in parliament. they have free and fair elections, sanctioned internationally, and have multiple political parties. that makes it a democracy.

20% of its population is arab/muslim, and guess what? they all vote, pray at mosques, run tv stations and newspapers, and serve in parliament. that's a fact. deal with it.

when israel was re-created in 48, many arabs left. at the same time, many jews left their homes in arab countries. it was a population exchange. jordan and syria and iraq and egypt won't let jews back that were kicked out, and israel won't let back arabs that left. that's life. it's equal on both sides. deal with it.

israel IS a jewish state, but it give full civil rights to non-jews. sorry if that blows your mind.

compare that to the 22 arab states that don't give civil rights to their arab citizens, let alone their jewish ones. most don't allow jews to live there, and the few that remain are totally mistreated.
in israel, there are many mosques. it is illegal to build a synagogue or church in saudi arabia. do you really want israel destroyed and another oppressive arab regime?

wineboy

America was technically a democracy too back when slavery was still legal. As they say, actions speak louder than words, or in this case, mindless political labels. Israel is a terrorist state when viewed from Gaza.

dandyl

People refer to Israel as a democracy because it is, its as simple as that.n a region of autocracies and theocracies, Israel serves as a beacon of hope for peoples who long for freedom.

The people of Israel come from more than 100 countries. They represent diverse ethnic, religious, and racial groups. Roughly half the population has origins in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

Roughly one-fifth of the Israeli population is not Jewish. Most of the non-Jews are Muslims, but Christians, Druze, Baha’is, and other faiths are also represented.

Israel’s Arab citizens enjoy equal rights with Jewish citizens of the state. Israeli Arabs participate in all aspects of Israeli life, from menial jobs to Supreme Court justices.

Hebrew and Arabic are the two official languages of the state.

All the freedoms Americans associate with the bill of rights and civil rights are protected in Israel. Israelis enjoy freedom of speech, assembly, and religion.

Arabs living under the oppression of Yasser Arafat’s Palestinian Authority do not enjoy any of these rights, so it is not surprising that, despite their grievances, Palestinians tell pollsters the nation they admire most is Israel, and Israeli Arabs say they prefer to live in Israel rather than in a Palestinian state.

Israel’s free press is one of the most vibrant in the world. Unlike the mostly government-controlled media in the region, Israeli journalists can report on all aspects of Israeli life, and do not hesitate to criticize their government’s failings. Arab journalists who expressed similar views about the Palestinian Authority or other Middle Eastern regimes would likely face arrest — or worse.

Israel’s Declaration of Independence guarantees freedom of religion for all. Each religious community has its own religious schools, councils, and courts, and exercises jurisdiction over matters of personal status such as marriage and divorce. The holy places of each religion are controlled by officials of that faith, not the Israeli government.

A popular slogan is that Jerusalem should be free and accessible to all faiths. Indeed it should be — and it has been only since Israel assumed responsibility for the entire city in 1967. Today, any Muslim is free to pray at their holy places in Jerusalem. In fact, one news story you probably didn’t read was about the tens of thousands of Muslims who peacefully prayed on the Temple Mount during the holy month of Ramadan.

Israel also recognizes the freedom of assembly. Tens of thousands of Israelis have turned out for rallies for peace, sometimes in support of their government and sometimes to protest its policies.

Israel’s elections are a model of the democratic process. While the United States has only two major parties that are often criticized for being too similar, Israeli voters typically have more than a dozen parties to choose from, representing a wide variety of political views. In the last election, 13 parties won seats in the Knesset, including three Arab parties with eight representatives.

Israel is the only country in the Middle East that provides full equality for women. In the Palestinian Authority and most Arab states, women are treated as second-class citizens, often denied the right to vote or work in most fields, and, in the case of Saudi Arabia, they are not even allowed to drive a car. Worse, abuse of women, such as “honor killings,” is tolerated for a range of “offenses.” Women in Israel are protected by law from discrimination and abuse, and they have been engaged in all walks of life, from homemaker to combat soldier to prime minister.

Israel is one of the most progressive countries in the world in terms of recognizing differences based on sexual orientation. Homosexuals are not protected in Arab and Muslim states, and they are often imprisoned and sometimes executed. In the Palestinian Authority, sodomy carries a jail term of three to 10 years. Israeli law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation. In August 2006, Jerusalem will be hosting Love Without Borders: WorldPride Jerusalem 2006, a weeklong event organized by LGBT activists from around the world. This demonstration is the second one of its kind in the world.

Israel is not a perfect society. While Israelis enjoy far greater freedom than any of their neighbors, they have not achieved the equality in all areas to which they aspire, but that is true of the United States and all the other western democracies as well. If the United States has not yet achieved this goal in more than 200 years, no one should be surprised that Israel has fallen short in just 56, but the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness for all Israeli citizens continues.

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